Electric signal for railways.



H. J. & P. T. JONES.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE l7 1909.

1,063,691, Patented June 3, 1913.

Wane/Jae:

. arwenfow 29- W Q1? g UNITED STATES HELENA J. JONES AND FRANK 'r. masses nammonn, MARYLAND, assmnons PATENT OFFICE.

THE JONES. SAFETY TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, LAND, A CORPORATION OE MARYLAND. I

ELECTRIC SIGNAL r012. R-mLwA-Ys useful Improvements in Electric Signals for Railways, of which the following is a specification, v p

This invention relates to. improved, elec'- tric' controlling devices for-railways.

One object of the invention .isto provide attempted to take a train into-a block already occupied by" a. train at a rate of speed greate than'a predetermined speed. I

Another object is 'toprovide, an improved construction of electricallyoperatedmechanism for permitting a train traveling. below a predetermined. rate of speed to enter a. block already occupied by a train without" operating the air brakes.

. A further object is-to provide a construe-' tion of switching levers which may beeperatcd by the reversing lever on the vehicle to change the circuits when the direction of travel ofthevehicle is reversed.

' Another object is to provide an improved construction whereby when a plurality of motors or locomotives are employed to move a train the automatic air-brake operating mechanism on all but one motor or locomotive may be, maintained in the normal inoperative condition.

The drawing shows a diagrammatic view of the mechanism for operating the air-l brakes and the speed indicator for controlling the same.

It to be understood that the invention is applicable to either a doubleor single track" roadthe only difference being that in a single track road the mecha-nism will be duplicated. Inthe drawing the mechanism is provided and arranged for a single track road.- j 1 In thedra'wingthe track rails designated, 4, ;and,-5, of one block are shown. '5

The present "invention includes an improved arrangementof nechanism and devices for automatically operatingthe air brakeson a train that approaches or' enters afblgc'li already occupied by a train; at a rate of speed greater than a predetermined Specification bf Letters Patent.

.n'hile the train is traveling ata speed "o'v,

' speed and by reference'to thejdrawi'ngthis:

Patented'June a, was? Application filed June 17,1909.- Serial-No.502-,698. i

mechanism, which is carried on the motor.

locomotivewill now be described.

The numeral", 40, indicates the axle oivehicle; 41, the reversing lever;- 42, the specdi. switch; 43, the air-valve for controlling-tile air-brakes; an electr0 magnet for attracting' and holding trip lever,- 45, which main tains the 7 condition.

,It' will be noted that the speed switch has:

an. arm, .46, which is pivotally mounted so valve in the normal inoperative 1' as to swing through 'a-n arc of a circle and over .a low-speedrcontactplate, 47. The con- ,struction of this switch and its connection 'w1th the axle of the -ve'hicle to vary with the speed; is immaterial and may be of any,

well known form that will cause the arm, 46, to swinga's the speed of the vehicle is .in-

creased or decreased,- such for e'xample' aa shown in the U'.-S. patent to Benton, N" 876,256 of "January 7th, 1908. When'run ning alga low rate of speed for'e 'ta nplv 'under slx miles an hour, the arm, 46, will have contact withlow-speed contact plate 47, and at such times a circuit willbe'maijntained' from battery, 48, by wire,'49. gtlirough electro-magnet, '44, wire, 50, to switch arm, 46,-- contact plate, 47-, and wire, 51, to switch arm, 46, contact plate, 47, and wire',.51..ba'ck to battery. By means of this circuit the magnet, 44,- will be kept energized and the lever,'45, will hold the air-valve, 43, .in the normal inoperative position even though the ramp rail, 68, and rail, 41., are connected.

A's herein-before stated while 'the' train": is

travelin at a speed below I the pre'd termined for example at six miles an hour, the electrothe speed exceeds the so-called .ilow speed,

the switch arm will 'move over .onto a high speed contact plate, 52, and thelow-speed' circuit just. referred to and which includes 'bat-tery, 48, will be broken and a new high-- speed circuit through-the elct'ro-ina inet,

six miles-an honrfa'nd that said lattjc' in electrical connection w th tl ie'- g rate-which has been referredto,

magnet, 44, will remain energized,'bu t whe .1

by wire, 53, while a wire, 54, eli-h'ical-ly connects said axle with a battery, 55. While the switch a rm, 46, is in contact with a plate, 52, a high-speed circuit will-be established through magnet, 44, by wire,'.5 0; wire, 56; switching lever, 57; wire, 58;-roller, 59;

wire 60; switching lever, 61, and wire, 62,'

to-battcry, 55, then from battery by wire, 54, axlc,'40, and wire, 53, back to contact plate, 52. switch arm, 46, acts as a switch to complete the high-speed circuit from battery, 55, through magnet, 44, upon the breaking of the low-speed circuit from battery, 48., A

resistance, 56, is provided in thiscircuit for purposes presently to be explained. \Vhen in this condition, that is, with the arm, '46, on highspeed plate, 52, any attempt to pass a dangeivsets gnal into a block will result in the application of the airbrakes, by. means of mechamsm and connections nowj to be described.

A circuit which includes the liails,'4, and,

5,- also includes anelectro-magnet near one end of the block. The mechanism coa'cting v with or operated by these magnets is ahke and a brief description of one is deemed to be suflicient. The particular location of vthe magnetvwith respe'ct to the rails is imma such as a wire, 66, is provided between the rail, 4, and theconductor substance in the receptacle, 6:), while a similar connection,

" 67, is provided'between the receptacle, 64,

and a short ramp rail section, 68, at the side of the track rails on which the vehicle travels. Supposing a train to have entered a block the'track magnet would become deenergized'so as to release the bar, 63, and allow its free end to drop into receptacle, 65,

thus forming an electrical connection-be tween rail, 4, and ramp rail-section, 68. A train approaching a block, if traveling at a low speed orsay under six miles anhour could pass the ramp rail-sections, 6 8, but if traveling at a high speed, whenit reaches the ramp rail-section, 68, the high speed circuit heretofore referred to, would be effective to cut-out or deenergize the electro-magnet, 44,- and 'permit the valve, 43, to open and thus apply the brakes This latter-circuit would be from battery, 55, on the vehicle through wire,54, wheel, 70, rail,

4,- wire, 66,. receptacle, 165, bar, 63, receptac l'e, 64, wire, 67, to rail-smtion, 68,;t-hen' through wire,60, switch-lever, 61, to wire,

Thus it will be seen that the 62 ,'back to battery thereby short-circqifing I the magnet, 44. The current flows as just described for'the reason that it is the shortest route and of the least resistance;

It will be noted by reference to the drawing' that each vehicle is provided with a roller, 59, at one side and a roller, 59, at the opposite side of the rails but it should be understood that these rollers have no] electrical connection whatever with each other. It will also'be noted that the roller, 59*, has electrical connection by wires, 58, and, with contact points,'71,and, 72, while roller, 59, at the opposite side of the vehicle has connection with contact points,

73, and, 74. The switching levers, 57, and, 61 ,are movable with the 'reversingbar,' 41, so that when the vehicle is moving forward said levers will engage contacts, 74, and, 73, ."whereas when the bar, 41, is reversed the said levers will engage contacts, '71, and, 72.

By further reference to thedrawing it will i be noted that a shunt li'ne', 75,is provided in the circuits around the switch arm,'46,

and contact plates, 47, and, 52, and that a switch, 76, is provided in'said circuit, The

object 'of this shunt line is that when two motors or locomotives are attached to the same train the closing of the switch on the second motor will prevent 'the'operation'of the brakes on said second motor. "The current from batter-3548, keeps the magnet, 44, V energized and the res1stancc,-56 prevents "thecurrent from being shunted around the magnet by way of wire, 56. \Ve have also.

provided that incase the speed switch should become useless orfdisarrailged the 'arm, 46, will be returned to a contact, 7 7, which is connected by a wire, 78, with con-' tact-plate, By this means the current instead of passing through plate, 5'2, to arm, 46, would pass around by wire, 78.'

Having thus described our invention what Patent is:-- ,f

1. The combination with a. vehicle having an air-brake valve, of an electromagnet for controlling the valve; two contact plates also oirthe vehicle; a circuit including one of said contact plates and said magnet while the vehicle is moving at a low speed a secondcircuit includin the other contact plate and said magnet wlnle'the' vehicle is moving at a'greater speed; a switchear'm and means whereby it is movable from one contact-plate we claim and desire to secure. by Letters to. the other according to the speed of the vehicle for closing one or the other ofs, menus and means cooperating with;

ments in saidsecond'o'r high speed circuit for short circuitingthe said valve magnet, and releasing the air-brake valve.

2. The combmation with a vehicle having an air-brake valve; of an electro-magnet for controlling-the same; two contact plates on the vehicle; a switch armand means whereby it is automaticall movablefrom one contact plate to the ot er according to the speed of the vehicle; a circuit normally including one of; said contact plates the switch arm and said magnet; another circuit to include said other contact plate said magnet and the switch arm when the latter is automatically moved from one contact to the other, and means coiiperating with the last named circuit for effecting a denergization of said electro-magnet to release the valve controller.

3. The combination with a vehicle having an air-brake valve and a magneticcontroller therefor; of a low-speed contact plate; a high speed contact plate; a switch arm and means whereby it is automatically movable from one plate to the other according to the speed of the vehicle; a battery and connections to maintain a closed circuit through the low speed contact plate, the switch arm and valve controller during the travel of the vehicle at a low speed; a battery and connections to maintain a closed circuit through they high speed contact plate, switch arm and valve controller during the travel of the vehicle at a higher rate of speed; and two contacts on the vehicle and in the high speed ci1-cuit,-one contact being between a pole of the battery and one side of the controllerand the otherbetween the other pole of the battery and the other side of said controller.

4. The combination of a vehicle having an air-brake valve and magnetic controller therefor; two contact plates on said vehicle; a movable switch arm; a circuit including a battery, one of said contact plates, the switch arm and the valve controller,--said circuit being maintained while the arm is in contact'with said plate; a side contact at each side of the vehicle; a reversing lever on the vehicle; switching means operated by the said reversing lever; a second circuit including the other of the first named two contact plates, a second battery, the .Eiild 4 valve controller, movable switch arm, the said switching means and one of the said side contacts, and connections between the switching means and the other of said two side contacts whereby the latter side contact may be included in said second circuit.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

- HELENA J. JONES. FRANK T. JONES.

. Witnesses: G. FERDINAND Vocr, CHARLES B. MANN, Jr. 

